The mistake paint makers warn about with vinyl siding is picking a color darker than the siding came in, in a paint that was not made for vinyl. Sherwin-Williams warns that going darker than the original shade can cause warping and other defects.
So, can you paint vinyl siding? Yes: clean, sound vinyl takes a quality exterior acrylic latex well, as long as the color stays within the paint maker’s vinyl-safe range. What you give up is the “never needs painting” promise that sold vinyl in the first place. Here is what holds up, myth by myth.
Myth: vinyl siding won’t hold paint
Fact: Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore both sell products and color palettes for it. In its guide to painting vinyl siding, Sherwin-Williams says that with its Emerald exterior acrylic latex, primer isn’t required on vinyl in sound condition, and it calls for two coats on new, bare siding or one coat on siding that was painted before.
Adhesion depends on what is on the surface, so the cleaning step further down matters as much as the can you buy.
Myth: any color works if the paint is good
Fact: color is the rule you can’t skip. Dark colors absorb more sunlight, and vinyl moves with heat. Sherwin-Williams sells VinylSafe colors formulated to resist warping and buckling, including some dark ones, and Benjamin Moore offers a Colors for Vinyl palette of 75 colors.
If you pick from outside those lists, stay at the siding’s original shade or lighter. Light reflectance value (LRV) helps you compare: Sherwin-Williams explains that lighter tints reflect more light than darker ones.
Myth: a light color protects vinyl from all heat damage
Fact: not from reflected sunlight. The Vinyl Siding Institute’s resources, now published by the Polymeric Exterior Products Association, describe siding distortion caused by concentrated sunlight bouncing off energy-efficient windows, on your house or a neighbor’s. Its white paper says both light and dark siding can be affected, with color at most a secondary factor.
Before painting, walk the house and look for wavy or puckered spots near windows. Paint will not flatten them, and the association suggests blocking the reflection with shades, screens or landscaping.
Myth: painting won’t affect your siding warranty
Fact: it might. Sherwin-Williams tells homeowners to check with the siding manufacturer whether painting voids any remaining warranty. The industry association notes that manufacturers generally offer a lifetime warranty to the original homeowner and a prorated warranty of at least 50 years to later owners.
If your siding is fairly new, find the warranty paperwork or call the manufacturer before you buy paint.
Myth: painted vinyl stays maintenance-free
Fact: once it is painted, it is a painted surface. The industry association lists never needing to paint or caulk among vinyl’s benefits. Paint changes that: Sherwin-Williams says paint on vinyl can last many years, depending on paint quality, prep, climate, sun exposure, application and upkeep. Plan on regular washing and, eventually, another repaint.
Myth: a quick rinse is enough prep
Fact: paint sticks to whatever is on the siding, including dirt, chalk and mildew. Sherwin-Williams cleans with a house and siding cleaner, by hand or in a pressure washer, rinses with a hose and lets the siding dry before any tape or paint goes on.
Our guide to pressure washing before painting covers the method for each kind of siding and how long to wait before painting.
Myth: paint will hide cracked or warped panels
Fact: paint changes color, not shape. Loose panels need refastening, and cracked, brittle or warped ones need replacing before anyone paints. That is often the real answer to “can you paint 20-year-old vinyl siding?”: age matters less than whether the panels are still sound.
Vinyl under Charleston sun and humidity
Strong sun is the reason to stay inside the vinyl-safe range here, and humidity is the reason to plan the weather. Paint needs dry siding and temperatures inside the range on the label; our guide to the best time of year to paint a house exterior walks through the Charleston calendar.
If you live in a community with an architectural review board, a color change on vinyl needs approval like any other; see HOA painting rules in South Carolina. For palette ideas that suit the coast, see our exterior paint colors for coastal homes.
Printable checklist before you paint vinyl
- Warranty checked with the siding manufacturer.
- No loose, cracked, brittle or warped panels, or they are repaired first.
- No distortion spots near windows, yours or a neighbor’s.
- Color from the paint maker’s vinyl palette, or no darker than the original.
- Exterior acrylic latex that the maker recommends for vinyl.
- Review board approval in hand, if your community requires it.
- Siding cleaned, rinsed and fully dry.
- Forecast and temperature inside the limits on the label.
- Windows, fixtures and plants covered.
- Number of coats per the label: Sherwin-Williams calls for two on new, bare vinyl and one over previously painted vinyl with Emerald.
Having vinyl siding painted
Most of the outcome is decided before the first coat: the color choice, the condition of the panels and the cleaning. If you would rather have a professional look at your siding, ask VMS Home Painting’s exterior house painters in Charleston whether painting your vinyl is a job we can take on.
For any exterior repaint, the price depends on the size and height of the house, the repairs and the cleaning it needs, and the trim and colors. Ask for a free exterior estimate and ask us whether your vinyl siding can be part of it.
